Ripple’s possible public listing has returned to the conversation after SBI Holdings CEO Yoshitaka Kitao gave one of the clearest long-range timelines yet from a major Ripple shareholder.
Yoshitaka Kitao, the CEO and President of SBI, one of Japan’s largest financial conglomerates, made remarks that have since resonated with members of the $XRP community. Speaking about his long-term investment intentions, Kitao stated he is willing to pour in $626 million at the lower end and $1.25 billion at the upper end into Ripple when the payments technology company goes public.
SBI CEO Says Ripple Needs To Go Public
The question of whether Ripple Labs will ever trade on a public exchange has followed the company for years, although Ripple’s executives have been consistent in cooling expectations regarding an IPO.
While speaking at a recent conference in Tokyo, Japan, Kitao said that when Ripple Labs goes public, he plans to invest heavily in the company. According to his remarks, the company would be willing to put in ¥100 billion or even ¥200 billion at once to fully complete everything.
Interestingly, the SBI Holdings CEO added that he believes Ripple will probably go public in about 12 years, while also saying that Ripple needs to go public. That timeline places the possible listing outside the current cycle, as it points to somewhere around 2038.
The comment matters because Kitao is not a distant observer and not an $XRP commentator trying to predict the next catalyst for an $XRP price surge. SBI has been one of Ripple’s most consistent backers, and its relationship with the company stretches back to 2016.
SBI invested in Ripple Labs and later co-founded SBI Ripple Asia, a joint venture focused on using Ripple’s technology for cross-border payment services in Asia. SBI has also publicly disclosed that it holds approximately 9% of Ripple Labs, making it one of the company’s largest external shareholders.
The Firm Has Always Resisted The IPO Talk
Comments regarding a Ripple IPO have followed the company for years, especially after its legal battle with the US Securities and Exchange Commission officially ended in 2025. Ripple has also grown as a company into custody, stablecoin infrastructure, real-world asset tokenization, and acquisitions.
However, Ripple executives have also noted that the company is not rushing into an IPO. For instance, Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse dismissed talks of an IPO last year, saying the company does not need outside funding.
Ripple President Monica Long also said in January 2026 that Ripple still planned to stay private, explaining that the company’s balance sheet gives it enough room to keep growing without raising capital from public markets. This position also fits with Ripple’s recent private-market strength, as Ripple had raised $500 million at a valuation of about $40 billion in late 2025.
